KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT

If you live in an apartment building, please know your rights. There are building managers who are rude, obnoxious, and disrespection to paying tenants who may call themselves your landlord. If you pay your rent to someone each and every month you should be treated with respect or pack up and move. If you pay your rent and is a great tenant and so-called building manager theatens to kick you out, they can't do if you are under a lease. It just a scare tactic that they use because they like to see people sweat. They know that the word eviction scares the heck out of tenants. Most building managers who live in the same building do not pay rent on their apartment, they live free because of being building manager. Report any landlord or building manager who don't want to do repairs and who does shoddy work in your apartment and the building area. If you should get a five-day notice for non-payment of rent, it does not mean that you will be evicted. At least not right away. Most five day notices mean that the realty management company is giving more time to pay. Some will even set a up payment plans with their tenants. Do not give in to a building managers threats especially when know you have dong nothing wrong. Report a building manager to the management company or the actual owner of the building where you rent.  Here is some very important information.

Tenant’s Rights and Responsibilities

• You should demand a written lease to avoid future misunderstandings with your landlord.

• You must pay your rent on time.

• You must keep the rental unit clean and undamaged.

• You are responsible for any damages beyond normal wear and tear.

• You must pay the utility bill if the lease makes you responsible.

• You may not alter the rental unit without your landlord’s approval.

• You must give written notice when you intend to move if you don’t want to lose your security

deposit. Normally, a 30-day notice is sufficient.

• The Illinois Retaliatory Eviction Act prohibits your landlord from evicting you for complaining to

any governmental authority (housing inspector, human rights commission, etc.).

Landlord’s Rights and Responsibilities

• Must keep the rental unit fit to live in.

• Must make all necessary repairs.

• Must keep the rental unit in compliance with state and local health and housing codes.

• May set the amount of rent and security deposit.

• May charge you a late fee for late rent. The late fee must be reasonable.

• May make reasonable rules and regulations.

Security Deposits

Your landlord can require you to pay a security deposit which may be used to cover unpaid rent, repair

damages to the unit, and clean the unit after you move. The amount of the security deposit is normally

equal to one month’s rent, however, there is no legal limit on the amount your landlord can require.

Interest on Your Security Deposit

State law requires your landlord to pay you interest on your security deposit if it is held for at least six

months and there are at least 25 units in your building or complex. Your landlord must pay you the

interest or apply the interest as a credit to your rent every 12 months. You may sue your landlord for

willfully failing to pay interest and recover an amount equal to your security deposit, court costs, and

attorney’s fees.

Return of Your Security Deposit

The Illinois Security Deposit Return Act requires your landlord to return your security deposit in full

within 45 days of the date you moved, if:

• Your building or complex consists of 5 or more units.

• You do not owe any back rent.

• You have not damaged the rental unit.

• You cleaned the apartment before you moved.

If your landlord refuses to return all or any portion of your security deposit, he/she must give you an

itemized statement of the damages along with paid receipts within 30 days of the date you moved.

You can sue your landlord to recover your security deposit. If a court finds that your landlord violated

the security deposit law, he/she could be liable for damages in an amount equal to two times your

security deposit, court costs, and attorney’s fees.

Rent Increases

In a week-to-week or month-to-month tenancy, the landlord can raise your rent by any amount if

he/she gives you seven days notice for a week-to-week lease or 30 days notice for a month-to- month

lease. Your landlord cannot raise your rent if you have a fixed-term lease. In other words, if you have

a year lease, your landlord cannot raise your rent prior to the expiration of the lease.

Illinois does not have a rent control law. Therefore, your landlord can raise your rent as much as

he/she deems necessary. However, you should contact your local units of government to see if your

city or county has a rent control ordinance.

Terminating A Lease

Your landlord must notify you in writing that he/she intends to terminate the lease. If you are renting

month-to-month, you are entitled to a 30-day written notice. Leases running year-to-year require a

60-day written notice.

YOUR LANDLORD DOES NOT HAVE TO GIVE YOU ANY REASON FOR

TERMINATING THE LEASE.

Illinois Rental Property Utility Service Act

If your landlord has failed to pay a utility bill for which he/she is legally responsible, you may pay the

bill and deduct the payment from your rent.

Discrimination

A landlord may not refuse to rent or lease an apartment or house to potential tenants or have different

rental terms on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex and marital status, or

disability. Under the Federal Fair Housing Act, it is illegal to discriminate against families with children

when leasing a rental unit. Complaints about discrimination may be filed with the Illinois

Department of Human Rights.

The Eviction Process

A landlord must file a lawsuit in order to evict you. Your landlord cannot make you move by turning

off your utilities. Also, your landlord may not evict you by locking you out, changing the locks or

removing your personal property from the rental unit. The eviction process is detailed below:

Your landlord must give you a written notice stating the reason for the eviction. If the reason

is for nonpayment, your landlord must give you five days to pay the rent. If the eviction is for

violating a provision in the lease, your landlord must give you a 10-day notice.

ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B008E7HMV6/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0&isremote=0

Author George Wilder Jr.
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